NORTH LOGAN— In these hard economic times good investments are difficult to come by. One soccer mom found her investment right here in Cache Valley.

The Infinity Soccer Club has quickly dominated soccer in Cache Valley in just three short years.

While the ISC meets three times a week, Amber Irvin said the commitment seems like nothing compared to the return she has gotten.

“I’ve compared it this last year to everyone’s investments going so far south,” said Irving, who has two children in the program. “Nobody was getting a return.”

She said her return is in her daughter’s development as a player and a person.

“My daughter in particular at the end of her season, her confidence level had increased,” Irvin said. “She had done so well that it was an investment that paid off for me.”

The Infinity Soccer Club’s lime green uniforms lit up the Green Canyon Corn Maze Wednesday night. The players, fresh from practice many with cleats still on their feet, rushed through the corn stalks.

For the kids who participate in ISC, it’s more than a game. The skills they learn go far beyond those on the field. The soccer club brings kids together and teaches them valuable life lessons while developing them into stronger players.

The soccer success story started three years ago and has blossomed into a force in Cache Valley sports.

“People come to watch us,” Maddy Jenson, a player who has dreams of one day playing college soccer, said. “It’s made Cache Valley popular because our soccer team is very popular.”

ISC technical director Jeff Ginn said the club mission is to educate coaches and players in soccer and foster passion in the sport.

“The whole idea is to improve players’ passion for the sport as well as improving individual players abilities,” Ginn said. “We’re trying to build a more soccer savvy community.”

The club attracts players from all over. The program has about 350 players coached by 25 coaches. The diversity of the players, many of whom don’t attend the same school, is something Irvin views as a positive.

“You bring a group of kids together and it doesn’t matter if they live on the north end or south end,” Irvin said. “They all come together on the field.”

Infinity coaches promote development of fundamental skills while also playing a high level of soccer.

“In the past three years that Infinity has been around one of the main things we’ve seen is that there is a drive to play at a high level,” Ginn said. “Both short term and thinking long term, we want them to play high school but we also want them to have aspirations of playing collegiately and professionally.”

With this philosophy, Infinity coaches have seen big improvements in their players, some of whom are their own children. Parent and coach of U-11 girls Travis Clements said the club is trying to get players to look at the game differently.

“The emphasis is on player development with a long term approach,” Clements said. “When a player starts playing, the object is to get them to keep playing for many years.”

This year ISC introduced a new program called iSoccer an Internet program that allows players to track their progress. The program also gives players ideas on how they can improve their skills when not at practice. The newly introduced program provides players with basic drills that are easy enough for everyone to use. The fundamental drills are something U-14 player Tayler Wolford said are really helpful.

“I’m able to go home and each day improve my skills,” Wolford said.

The iSoccer fundamental skills extend to all players of any level from five year-olds to professionals. The drills and benefits are the same for all levels. Clements said the best part about the program is that it allows players to track their progress.

“It’s hard to work on something and know where you’re at and get better if you can’t measure it,” Clements said. “(It) lets the kids know where they’re at.”

So far the iSoccer program is a success along with the rest of the program.

Story by Meredith Kinney